£10.00

1 Mist Covered Mountains Sample MP3 3.52
2 The Handsome Cabin Boy Sample MP3 2.46
3 The Fisherboy 3.51
4 Taimse im Chodladh 5.05
5 Chloe Brown's Set 4.19
6 A Brisk Young Sailor 1.51
7 Blood and Gold & The Universal Soldier 5.26
8 Long John Moore 3.43
9 Young Waters 4.17
10 The Busking Set 2.32
11 The Wee Croppy Tailor 4.26
12 Turn to Me 4.23
13 A Jug of This 4.23

Songwords for Turn to me

Turn to Me, Bill's debut CD was recorded in January 2000 at Park Head Studio, nr Huddersfield. Engineered and produced by Brian Bedford, Turn to Me also features guest musicians Saskia Tomkins, a brilliant fiddler and ‘cellist based in Northampton, and the North-East virtuoso guitarist Simon Haworth (also on cittern).

A lot of thought and time was put into picking the thirteen tracks that eventually made it onto the album. Many tracks are an accurate representation of what you’d hear if you saw Bill performing live (piano or accordion + vocals), while others have more of a band feel - particularly Long John Moore (vocals, piano, fiddle, cittern, rhythm) and Táimse im Chodladh (vocals, piano, string trio). The final track, A Jug of This, features a programmed rhythm track as well as several acoustic instruments (well if Capercaillie can do it......!).

Turn to Me was exceptionally well received by the music media.
Folk Roots (June 2000 edition) | Folk on Tap (July 2000 edition) | Tykes News (July 2000 edition)

Bill - aka Belinda - is described as young (don’t worry, it won’t last) and sounds it, with something of the same quality that Kate Rusby’s voice has. She’s a very nice singer, making a good job of such as Mist Covered Mountains, while her own words (to trad tunes) on Táimse Im Chodladh and the title track betray both a talent for writing and a romantic streak a mile wide. She also plays accordion, piano, flutes and whistle which are showcased on two sets of tunes. I did feel however that she was a bit lacking in the power and authority stakes on Long John Moore and the heavy-duty ballad Young Waters, something that time will probably fix. Both these tracks made decent enough listening but seemed like they’d benefit from a bit more weight being put behind them. Nevertheless, this is a good record in its own right and shows a lot of potential, not least in the songwriting.

Nick Beale

Folk on Tap (July 2000 edition)

Bill Jones is the cover for the cryptic genius of Belinda Jones, and her debut, home-made CD, Turn To Me, is something really quite special - a collection of traditional material that seamlessly merges with Bill’s original songs, tunes and arrangements. Joined by Saskia Tomkins, Simon Haworth and Brian Bedford, this splendid acoustic CD has become something of a permanent fixture in my player - such is its quality with the overall effect being one of reflective calm and serenity. At a time when most music is aimed at the age group that traditionally leaves social gatherings with a piece of cake wrapped in a serviette, this majestic collection shines-out like the beacon it truly is. The Handsome Cabin Boy, The Fisherboy, Blood and Gold and Young Waters, all conspire to elevate Bill into a class that includes both Kate and Eliza! Thankfully with this collective, traditional English folk music is in good hands - long may they stay.

Geoff Wall

Tykes News (July 2000)

Until recently I and my American-Old-Time mates knew Bill Jones as a good old hobo trying to get home, but Turn to Me has changed all that. We now know the name also applies to a young Sunderland-based singer with a penchant for first class British traditional material and an abundance of vocal and instrumental skills. After that, the fact that this is Belinda rather than William comes as only a mild surprise.... Like a great many of the good things in life, Turn to Me reveals its treasures gradually. The early songs are mainly Bill with her own accompaniment - accordion or piano with flute interludes and just a few tasty bits of fiddle and ‘cello from Saskia Tomkins. Track five is the first instrumental set, and in leaps Simon Haworth’s dead-on guitar, then track six gets right back to basics with a solo acapella Brisk Young Sailor. To pick a stand-out track would be foolhardy, but the one that does it for me is the pairing of Blood and Gold (which I previously knew as "No More To the Dance") with Buffy St. Marie’s Universal Soldier. Which is not to say that her Jug of This doesn’t blow me away, and when I played her Long John Moore to the Carthy who adapted it, he seemed as delighted with it as I am! I’m a sucker for a Yorkshire connection, so I’m pleased to report that the CD was recorded just down the road in Birdsedge, which makes two Tykes’ News bouquets in a row from me for the excellence of Brian Bedford’s recording and production. I’m also a sucker for old songs from young singers, especially when they arrive with such assurance, intelligence and inventiveness.

Alan Rose